Parameters of States of Consciousness

Most esoteric cosmologies only consider a single parameter of existence or manifestation - the emanation from the Unitary Infinite Noetic Absolute down through all the planes to formless matter or Hyle. But there are other dimension/parameters from the Absolute to Relative Phenomena as well, and thus, conversely, from the Relative to the Absolute. Each of these sequences begins from a different aspect of the Absolute. Whilst still within the Absolute Itself, all these dimension/parameters are unitary. But when they are projected down into finite or relative existence, distinction appears.

I suggest here at least three parameters (more could perhaps be added)

Each higher level or hypostasis could be considered "Inner", "soul" or "spirit" "copnsciousness", subjective, mind, or "within" or "wave" or "field" or "impicate order", each lower one Outer or Objective or "particle", "matter" or "explicate order"

The parameters or [polarities or dimensions of existence might also unfold and branch-off in a tree-like fashion, with new dualities emerging at each lower level. e.g. Sri Aurobindo indicates that the Advaitin experience - hence The "Two Truths" from Atman/Nirvana/Enlightenment to "Ego"/Samsara/Metaphysical Ignorance (and vice versa) - is the result of the first (there are higher) levels of realisation, in which the Self and or Spiritual consciousness, when confronted with lower phenomenal reality, experiences this as illusion or a mere play (he describes this as "Brahman", which was the experience he had when he first took up Yoga and, ina Buddha-like mode, memdiatted straight for three days).

Higher Parameters

In the Noetic Absolute (the most manifest Absolute, lucidy and comprehensively described by Sri Aurobindo under the term "Supermind") these polarities exist in harmony, as different aspects of the One, which emerge from the One. It is only when creation takes place that this harmony is lost.

So we need a further parameter to take this into account, as well as a seventh to distinguish between teh Unmanifest Absolute or Shunyaya in itself, and everything else. This gives us the following diagram:

Parameters of Reality

Unmanifest Absoluteshunya, tathata,paratpara

Reality in Itselfbeyond Absolute and Phenomena

Pleroma(The Manifest Absolute)
The OneAbsolute UnityThe Many within One:These aspects within and of Unity, expressing absolute Harmony and Perfection

KosmosAspects that are polarised (yin-yang) and dualistic.
These constitute the dimensions of Kosmic and phenomenal, dualistic, involtionary-evolutionary existence

The dynamic side of this is the play of consciousness, involution and evolution, the working out of the infinite possibilities of the Unmanifets and Manifest Absolute within the infinite Kosmos

Within the Absolute Reality things are simple (Absolute Unity, Inifite, timeless spaceless conscioousness, etc). But in and as the Kosmos, complexity appears, as the purpose of phenomal existence is for the infinite possibilities within the Absolute to be allowed individual expression.
The various higher spiritual worlds and hypostases that are described in detail in various esoteric philosphies constitute intermediate grades from Unity to Multiplicity and Duality

The Kosmos thus comes about through the emanation of - to use Meher Baba's simple but evocative terms - Everything into Nothing. This is the process of emanation from the supernal Godhead (the Dynamic Absolute), which proceeds from positive (everything) to negative (nothing) - i.e. Inward to Outward, Spirit to Matter, (Divine) Individual to Undifferentiated Universal Nature - through a series of stages, which can be called Worlds (Kabbalah olam - worlds), Planes (or Prakritic Planes - Blavatsky), Hypostases (Neoplatonism), Realities, Descents (of the Supreme) (Sufism - tanazzulut), etc.

Initially, the Godhead takes the form of the highest manifest archetypal Divine reality, in which the Everything predominates. From this in turn, through a process of involution, there emanates further but still transcendent manifestations. These in turn gives rise to further manifestations, which although very elevated are still limited in relation to the original Divine Universe. This process continues until finally the cosmos of Spiritual, Psychic and Physical universes, which are more under the sway of the Nothing (i.e. ignorance, lack, and imperfection). Even the lowest and most limited of these, the Physical plane, includes not only the familiar mundane physical reality but countless other realities as well, so that the number of worlds and states of existence is beyond comprehension.

Some mystics (e.g. Rumi, Theon, etc) refer to veils or boundaries between these worlds or ontological gradations. Especially at the higher levels or gardations, one could replace the term veils (which implies a passive material quality) with shaktis (which implies an active dynamic quality), thus incorporating the Tantric theme, which makes more sense here then the Sufi or Advaitin-type (kosha) concept of veils.

One way to map all this would be as a sort of multi-dimensional grid. The following diagram can serve as a simple illustration). Each parameter consitutes a distinct spectrum of consciousness.

Note that each of the three (or however many) parameters of delimited existence is not a simple spectrum but has numerous aspects and ramifications. At each axis in this diagram, each spectrum and subspectrum, is based on a polarity or duality (e.g. spirit and matter), it is tempting to consider one end as "yin", and the other "yang". Hence we have in each case a positive or yang and a negative or yin pole. This gives the following diagram:

The reasons for this attribution is as follows. When we consider the traditional Chinese correspondences for Yin and Yang, we find that "spirit" (or "heaven" is yang, and matter (or "earth") is yin. In addition, yang is "inner", yin is "outer"; and yang is the sage ("superior man", hence the enlightened individual) and yin is the "crowd". [ref. Wilhelm ed. of the I Ching, pp.xxx]

Note that negative here doesnt mean "evil". These are complementaries, not dualistic contradictories. Harmonious evolution (syntropy) occurs when yin and yang are in a mutually beneficial relationshhip, and entropy and disorder when they are not. (ref ibid, also "Unified Science" co-action compass)